mong
the subordinate offices of State. Mr. Macpherson and Mr. Roby, with
a host of others who had belonged to Mr. Daubeny, were prepared, as
they declared from the first, to lend their assistance to the Duke.
They had consulted Mr. Daubeny on the subject, and Mr. Daubeny told
them that their duty lay in that direction. At the first blush of
the matter the arrangement took the form of a gracious tender from
themselves to a statesman called upon to act in very difficult
circumstances,--and they were thanked accordingly by the Duke, with
something of real cordial gratitude. But when the actual adjustment
of things was in hand, the Duke, having but little power of assuming
a soft countenance and using soft words while his heart was bitter,
felt on more than one occasion inclined to withdraw his thanks. He
was astounded not so much by the pretensions as by the unblushing
assertion of these pretensions in reference to places which he had
been innocent enough to think were always bestowed at any rate
without direct application. He had measured himself rightly when he
told the older duke in one of those anxious conversations which had
been held before the attempt was made, that long as he had been in
office himself he did not know what was the way of bestowing office.
"Two gentlemen have been here this morning," he said one day to the
Duke of St. Bungay, "one on the heels of the other, each assuring me
not only that the whole stability of the enterprise depends on my
giving a certain office to him,--but actually telling me to my face
that I had promised it to him!" The old statesman laughed. "To be
told within the same half-hour by two men that I had made promises to
each of them inconsistent with each other!"

"Who were the two men?"

"Mr. Rattler and Mr. Roby."

"I am assured that they are inseparable since the work was begun.
They always had a leaning to each other, and now I hear they pass
their time between the steps of the Carlton and Reform Clubs."

"But what am I to do? One must be Patronage Secretary, no doubt."

"They're both good, men in their way, you know."

"But why do they come to me with their mouths open, like dogs craving
a bone? It used not to be so. Of course men were always anxious for
office as they are now."

"Well; yes. We've heard of that before to-day, I think."

"But I don't think any man ever ventured to ask Mr. Mildmay."

"Time had done much for him in consolidating his authority, and
pe